Road Warriors: Jeremiah—A Message of Survival - Friday
2 Corinthians 1:3b-4
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (NLT)
In December of 2020, an older gentleman in Brainerd, MN, ordered a drive-thru meal at his local Dairy Queen. Before he paid, he asked the cashier if he could pay it forward by purchasing the order of the car behind him. When that car pulled up and realized that their meal had been paid for, they wanted to pay it forward to the car behind them, too. Thus, a chain reaction began… and 900 cars later, over $10,000 of kindness had been spent to “pay it forward” over and over again.
When something unexpectedly great happens to us, sometimes we feel extra generous and thankful, and it prompts us to share that goodness with others. But what about when something unexpectedly hard happens?
Here’s the reality: For many people, their pain is wasted. As we said yesterday, those that deny, ignore, or numb their pain usually don’t come out the other side any better off. At best, they have no growth or fortitude after their suffering, and at worst, their pain was compounded tenfold. But it doesn’t have to be that way—pain is not wasted when it is faced in faith, submitted to Christ, and used to refine us in fire. It can force us to rely on God, ultimately building our trust in Him and allowing Him to be our source of comfort.
But the way our pain and suffering is “put to good use” can even go beyond how it changes us… We can also “pay it forward” when we see others in similar struggles. When we’ve experienced the comfort of the Lord’s hand in the midst of our troubles, we are able to extend that same comfort to others—even if our pain has not totally subsided. And when we are able to pour out to others what God has poured into us, our pain is not wasted.
That doesn’t mean it’s up to you to fix other people’s troubles (that usually doesn’t work, anyway), but there is a great deal of healing power when we sit beside someone else who is hurting in a way we understand and simply say, “Me too.” Sometimes, we have the opportunity to speak truth from God’s Word over them, or serve them in practical ways… and sometimes, we just cry together.
Friday’s Reflection
Who do you know that is facing hardship? How could you encourage them? Often, the best comfort comes from just listening and showing up in their life.
